Command Authority

Command Authority — Commander in Chief, Chain of Command, Goldwater-Nichols 1986

Foundation

Civilian Direction

Since the birth of our nation, policies and directives have been made by civilians assigned to:

The military
The executive branch of the government
The legislative branch of the government

Command Authority Defined

Command Authority Definition

Command authority is the established levels of responsibility for:

Command
Control
Communication

…throughout a chain of command.

Authority Path

Responsibility and authority for the U.S. Armed Forces extends from:

The U.S. President
Through the Secretary of Defense
Through two distinct branches of command
Through each commander at every level in the branches of service

Level Responsibility

The various levels within the chain of command have different responsibilities and authority; however, each level in the chain is:

Responsible for all lower levels
Accountable to all higher levels

Commander in Chief

The U.S. Constitution establishes the basic principle of civilian control of the U.S. Armed Forces.

President's Authority

As Commander in Chief, the U.S. President has final command authority; however, as head of the executive branch, the President is subject to the checks and balances system of the legislative and judicial branches.

Chain of Command

Chain of Command Statute

By statute, the chain of command runs:

For forces assigned to CCDRs (Operational):

- U.S. President → Secretary of Defense → Combatant Commanders (CCDR)

For all other forces (Administrative):

- U.S. President → Secretary of Defense → Secretaries of the military departments

Administrative Control Through Service

ADCON Through Service

When forces are assigned to the CCDRs, administrative control over those forces still typically flows through their respective service branch.

Goldwater-Nichols Act 1986

Goldwater-Nichols 1986

A provision of the Public Law 99-433, Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, 1 October 1986:

Permits the U.S. President to authorize communications through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Placing the Chairman in the communications chain of command